Canada-based RIM, which has officially changed its name to BlackBerry, announced the new Z10 handset today at its press conference in New York City.

The Z10 is an all-touchscreen device with a 4.2-inch screen displaying at a 1280×768 resolution with 356 PPI, a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz processor with 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. It also features a microSD expansion slot, a micro-HDMI port, NFC capabilities, an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Z10 handset will start at $149.99 and will be available on T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T sometime in March. Verizon Wireless announced that prices will start at $199.99 for either the black or white versions, with the latter being exclusive to the carrier. UK and Canadian consumers can purchase the Z10 later this week. Heins blamed the delayed US launch of the new handset on American carriers.

BlackBerry also announced the BlackBerry Q10 handset, which features a full QWERTY keyboard and a 3.1-inch physical touchscreen. Unlike its touchscreen counterpart, the Q10 will have a 720×720 resolution display.The handset should be available sometime in April, though a press release from Sprint pegs it at "later this year."

Both handsets will run the BlackBerry 10 operating system which, as previously reported, is heavily gesture-based. On the Z10, the handset features a virtual keyboard that is reminiscent of BlackBerry's iconic keyboard hardware, right down to the frets between each of the virtual keys. It will also feature new camera software and BlackBerry World, RIM's newly revamped app store. Users will have access to content provided by 7digital, including DRM-free music downloads, next-day video downloads, and movie rentals.

Florence Ion / Florence was a former Reviews Editor at Ars, with a focus on Android, gadgets, and essential gear. She received a degree in journalism from San Francisco State University and lives in the Bay Area.